Bottle registering device



NQV. 19, 1940. E, ss 2,222,503

BOTTLE REGISTERING DEVICE Filed Dec. 22, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 19, 1940. E. E. ESSEN BOTTLE REGISTERING DEVICE Filed Dec. 22, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 19, 1940. ESSEN 2,222,503

BQTTLE REGISTERING DEVICE Filed Dec. 22, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 70% G O a;

J 0 's? 62 $6. 6% ayn Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,222,503 BOTTLE REGISTERING DEVICE Application December 2 2, 1938, Serial No. 247,250

8Clalms.

This invention relates to a device to be used in connection with a conveyor for bottles, or other articles, which will turn the articles as they come to a spotting station in such a way that when the feed is taken up again all the articles will be fed forward at the same angle. In the labeling of bottles or other articles the article itself may have markings thereon with reference to which the label must be accurately located. For

1" example, certain types of bottles have a word or character formed in the glass and projecting from the normal surface of the bottle,'and the label is to be applied directly below or beside this word or character. The present invention relates to machines adapted for orienting the bottle or other article so that it will be located in predetermined relation to a labeling device or other mechanism acting on the article.

The principal objects of this invention are to 2 provide for rotatin the article on its own axis and thereby provide for locating it in the proper angular relation to enable a label to be placed on the article. The invention includes means whereby, when the article on the conveyor comes to a certain position, rolls will engage the article on diiferent sides and one of those rolls will rotate for the purpose of rotating the article on its own axis until the article is properly located, and means whereby, when a projection on the bottle reaches a certain point in its circumferential course, a wedge will be forced against the convex surface of the bottle and while the bottle is held against relative motion on the conveyor, that wedge will lock the bottle in its position so as to 35 get the proper angular location of the bottle for labeling purposes.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of electromagnetic means for controlling the operation of the wedge so that the latter is normally withdrawn from the bottle or article and may be released at the proper point in the rotation of the article to bring the article to rest. The wedge is mounted so that it will engage the article properly at the desired angle and assure a positive and practically immediate stopping of the article's rotation; the article at this time is supported by a series of rolls in such a manner that the wedge may function properly 50 for prompt stopping of the article.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which 55 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention, with the conveyor for the bottles shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine of Fig. 1, with the parts in withdrawn position and with the bottle advancing on the conveyor into orient- I ing position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2 showing the bottle in orienting position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to Figs. 2 and 3 showing the bottle stopped in the predetermined oriented position;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, with certain parts in section, showing the wedge mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a plan view or the wedge and associated mechanism, with parts removed Fig. '7 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a wiring diagram.

In attaching labels to round bottles it is sometimes required that these be placed in a certain position relative to lettering or other projections on the bottle. To accomplish this result on what is known as a hand fed labeling machine, the operator may readily turn the bottle to the de-. sired position when placing it on the labeling machine. However, when it comes to the fully automatic high speed labelers where the bottles are fed to the machine by conveyors, there is neither time nor room to turn the bottle to the desired position manually and fully automatic mechanical means for orienting the bottles must be employed.

This is not the first invention used for the purpose of placing a bottle in a certain angular position controlled byintegral projecting marks or characters on the bottle. Heretofore, as shown for example in the Perchard Patent No. 1,608,119, means have been employed whereby, when the projections on a rotating can or bottlecame to a certain predetermined position, direct mechanical obstructions engage the projections, thereby stopping the rotation of the can or bottle or, as in the Magnusson et al. Patent No. 1,743,018, means have been employed whereby, when the projecting part came to a position where it interrupted an electric circuit, locking means were applied to the spinner roller in a train of gears operating the same, thereby indirectly stopping the bottle rotated by them. 50

The increasing demand for high operating speeds makes the first mentioned means entirely unsatisfactory, as beyond a certain speed the kinetic energy in the revolving bottle becomes so great that the impact of the projections and the u obstructions in the stopping means damage the bottle as well as the mechanism itself.

The second type mentioned depends on mechanical clutches, gears, ratchet pawls, etc., with the uncertainties of the latter when subject to continued wear and tear, as well as their limitations to certain, speeds of operation beyond which these parts will not function. The present invention uses neither of these means but instead stops the rotation of the bottle by means of a flying wedge, which, when released, engages the circumference of the bottle at an angle to the axis at the point of contact. The use of the wedge type of locking means being simple in construction,-eliminates a great number of complicated parts, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture, and more particularly, maintenance. Moreover, the use of a wedge for stopping the bottle makes the rate of stopping of the bottle independent of friction which would be necessary if a brake were utilized and there is moreover practically no wear on the wedge.

While a wedge is one of the most powerful mediums in mechanics, in its, present application, having semi-resilient shoes in the side contacting the bottle, there is no damage to the bottleregardless of the speed in which it is desired to operate.

An important feature of this flying wedge is that the required initial pressure of the wedge against the bottle is comparatively slight, merely enough to bring it into positive contact with the rotating bottle. After this action has taken place, the kinetic energy of the rotating bottle itself furnishes the power to draw the wedge into the vertex of the angle formed by the outside of the bottle and the plane of the slide supporting the wedge. The force generated will always be in direct proportion to the speed of the bottle, never more or less than the amount required to bring the bottle to rest. I 3

With this improved type of stopping means the speed of orienting or .registering the bottle is limited only by the speed at whichsubsequent 5 labeling on the machine can be done.

As the means for transporting the bottle into and out of what is called the spotting o'r orienting station is part of the labeling machine itself and therefore only indirectly covered by the present application, a description of the labeling machine 1' conveying means.

Thelast named conveying means consists of two spaced parallel supporting rails 6 on which the bottle rests at stated intervals during its travel through the machine. Between the rails is a horizontally extending feed bar. l2 extending the full length of the rails to engage and raise the bottles from the supporting rails, said feed bar advancing the bottles, when lifted, a set dis--' tance. Then the bar descends between the staa tionary rails,'leaving the bottle at reston them.

The bar is retracted while out of engagement with the bottles for the beginning of the next cycle of operations. Above the bottle is another bar I that has coordinating movement with the bottom bar.

7' This bar 'is lowered to engage the bottle from the wheels and top at the same time the feed bar is raised into engagement.

During these periods when the bottle is at rest on the supporting rails, the actual labeling of the bottles takes place by the action of a slide (not shown) movable substantially transversely to the supporting rails of the machine. In the present invention similar slides are used to carry the bottle spinner and wedge shuttle assembly on one side and the bottle back supporting roller assembly with the spot indicating means on the opposite side. It is at one of these registering stations, ahead of the actual labeling station, that the spotting of the bottle takes place.

The release of the wedge is effected by means contacting with projections extending beyond the periphery of the bottle, with reference to which the registering or spotting is done. This means can be electrical or mechanical; in the particular form shown, an electro-magnet acts as a latch withholding the flying wedge, this form being used to eliminate so far as possible failure due to wear and dislocation inherent in any purely mechanical device.

In the form of the invention shown, the ma chine is mounted on a base III which carries an upright II for supporting the stationary rails 6 which run lengthwise of the machine. The bottle B, supported alternately on the rails 6 or feed bar I2, is provided with a projection b which may be in the form shown in the drawings but more often in the form of letters or characters cast in relief and constituting integral projections. In this case, as in the inventions mentioned above, these projections, or the first edge of these projections, constitute means for initiating the stopping of the rotation of the bottle in order that each bottle may be stopped at the same angular position with relation to this projection. purpose of this is to insure that the labels will be put on each of the bottles successively in the same places circumferentially of each bottle. In this case, the gearing and associated parts heretofore employed are eliminated.

The power for rotating or orienting the bottle is provided by a driven shaft i3 connected to one of an intermeshing pair of bevel gears M. The other bevel gear is connected through a pivoted universal joint l5 to a shaft Hi. This shaft is journalled in a bracket 9 supported by an The integral arm 8 secured to a slide 31. On the top of this shaft i6 is a pulley H which, through a belt It, drives a pulley i9 journalled on a shaft 20. This shaft has mounted thereon an antifriction ball race 2| pressing on a spring 22,

which in turn presses downwardly on the pulley 9 to press the pulley frictionally against the end face of a roll 23 also journalled on the shaft 20 and having its periphery covered with rubber or some other comparatively soft substance. This roll constitutes the means for rotating the bottle B on the supporting rails 5.

On a control shaft 25 is a pair of cams 26 one behind the other, the cams being in engagement with two rollers or cam followers 21. One of these rollers is mounted to rotate on the end of an arm 28 extending to the right, Fig. 1, and being keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 30 suitably journalled in a part of the machine base. The other roller 21 is rotatably mounted on the end of an arm 29 extending through the left, Fig. 1. The arm 29 is fixed to a shaft 3| suitably journalled in a part of the machine base. The shafts 30 and 3| have upright arms 32 and II respectively. The arms 2| and I2 and also the arms 2| and it constitute bell cranh.

It will be obvious that when the cams push the rolls 2'! up, for example, the upper ends of the arms 32 and 22 will be moved outwardly and when the cam falls away from the rolls 21, two springs 34 and SI connected respectively to the arms 28 and 2! keep the rolls down on the low part of the cam. The arms 32 and 22 are respectively connected to a pair of slides 21 and II suitably guided for reciprocatory movement at right angles to the rails t. The arm 32 is connected to the slide 21 by means of a pivot pin 39 and adjustable connecting link 40. The arm a is connected to the slide 38 by means of an adjustable -pin 4i extending through a bracket 42 and engaging the end of a spring 42, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby providing a resilient connection between the slide and thearm 23. The slide 2. is mounted to operate in guides 44 extending laterally of the base substantially at right angles to the rails 8 and the slide has mounted thereon a bracket 45. On the slide 34 is also mounted a stud 41 on which an arm 46 is pivotally supported. On this arm 46 is a stud 48 on which isv pivoted a lever 49 pulled by'a spring III in' a dlrectionto and on substantially the same'axisis another roll 58 on the arm 53. As shown in Fig. 1', this On the lever 4| beyond the stud 48 is a roll [4 a roll 56 contacts the circumference of the bottle.

The contacts Ii and I2 are normally in engagement and hold the roll 54 slightly away from the bottle until the latter is turned to such point that the projection b on the bottle will engage the roll 84 (but not roll 56) and move it away from the surface of the bottle to open the circuit through the contacts ii and 52. Opening of the circuit through these contacts will stop the rotation of the bottle as will hereinafter appear.

On the projection of the slide 38 on opposite sides of the rollers 54 and 56 are supports 51 on 45 which are mounted the idler or supporting rolls '8.

These idler rolls engage the surface of the bottle throughout a large part of the height thereof and constitute a backing for the bottle when the driving roll 23 is in contact with it on the other side, as shown in Fig. 3. These rolls 58, therefore, insure that a series of bottles moved successively into orienting position shall all be rotated on the same axis. The roll 54 is thus in the proper position to engage with the projec- 55 tion b as the bottle rotates.

Normally, the result of the opening of this circuit through contacts BI and 52 is to deenergize an electromagnet 59, which heretofore has been energized and has held back a wedge or brake slide 64 against the action of a spring SI. On this brake slide 60 is located the shoe 82, of rubber or other material, soft enough to engage the bottle without any damage thereto and stop it.

When released this slide 60 advances in a line 65 substantially tangential to the periphery of the bottle. The spring 8i having placed the wedge in contact with the bottle the kinetic energy of the rotation of the bottle itself provides the energizing force for the wedge 60.

With the wedge in the bottle stopping position of Fig. 4, the bottle cannot rotate and any torque applied to the bottle by the roll 23 merely causes the wedge to hold more tightly and prevent any rotation. Although the roll 23, driven only by 75 frictional contact exerted by the spring 22, comes r, being in'oontact with the now stationary Referring to Figs. band 7,1 bracket 12 supports a plunger'll, the slide .4. This bracket 12 also'supports the slide 81; on which the magnet is mounted, as well as forming a backing for one and Ma spring I. The bracket 121s rigidly attached to" the bracket It which also supp rts the stud 24 for the roll 23, the bracket 12 being attached to the slide 21. Fig. 5 shows the location, partly in cross section, of the associated parts in the position shown in Fig. 4.

The electrom snet ll functions as a latch to hold the plunger II and the associated parts in retracted position, until released by the opening of the electrical circuit through contacts II and I2. The magnet "has held the plunger II in retracted position against the spring OI, which provides the moving means for the plunger ll.

While the slide 31 with all the associated parts is moving forward into engagement with the bot- 7 tie, the magnet slide 81 is stopped in its forward motion before the rest of the assembly reaches the end of its stroke at which point the roll 23 engages the bottle. This stopping of the slide '1 is accomplished by the head of a bolt 65, which "is attached to the magnet slide 01, and which engag'esthe bracket 84 attached to the stationary stand supporting the slide 21.

' While the slides 21 and parts thereon are advancing toward the bottle the spring 88, which is stronger than the spring II, has kept the slide 81 with its magnet N in a forward position in engagement with the plunger II. On reaching the point when the forward motion of the magnet is arrested by the bolt GI and bracket 64, the forward motion of the plunger also is stopped, the magnet being energized and in engagement with the end of the plunger. Thus as the slide continues to advance the wedge is held against further forward movement relative to the base of the machine andis thus held out of engagement with the bottle.

After the bottle has been rotated until the projection b on the bottle engages the roller 54 and causes a rocking of the arm 49 to separate the contacts ii and 52, the electrical connection to the magnet I! is broken and the wedge 60 is brought into engagement with the bottle by the pressure of the spring 6|. when rotation of the bottle is arrested, the entire unit is drawn away from the bottle by the return of the slide 21 to the beginning of its stroke.

It will be understood that the stopping of the rotation of the bottle by the action of the wedge 00 occurs directly following the separation of the contacts BI and 52. The bottle, however, is rotating at a comparatively high speed and thus the projection b goes as far as, or slightly further than, the position of Fig. 4 before the wedge has entirely stopped the bottles rotation. The distance that the projection b moves after the separating of the contacts Ii and 52 is constant for a predetermined size and type of bottle and may be compensated for so that the projection will be in predetermined position with respect to the subsequent applied label.

The slide 31 on which the driving roll 23 is mounted is moved in timed relation to the movement of the slide 38 which carries the backing or idler rolls 58 by the earns 26 above referred to. The mechanism for reciprocating the slides is so arranged that the slide 31 is advanced from the position of Fig. 2 into the operative position of Fig. 3 at such a rate that the roll 22 engages the bottle and moves it a short distance beyond the center of the support I 2 on which the bottle is positioned. This movement of the bottle brings it into engagement with the rolls 58 and as the.

during the period that the slide 31 is advancedbeyond the position of Fig. 3 that the plunger 19 is retracted to the inoperative position of Fig. 3

through the action of the-limiting bolt 15.

The advancing movement of the slide 31, which, as above stated, carries the roll 23 slightly beyond the operative position of Fig. 3, also makes sure that the bottle is actually rotating before the movement of the roller 54 by theprojection b suflicient to release the 'wedge to stop the bottle from turning. To this end the slide 38 has mounted thereon a plunger 15, Fig. 1, which is yieldably mountedand which engages the control button of a switch or circuit breaker 15 mounted on the base of the machine. This switch is normally closed and is opened by the movement of the slide 38 into operative position. The plunger 16 is so adjusted that the bottle has been moved into engagement with the rollers 58 by the roll 23 and is rotating before the switch :75 is opened. As shown in Fig. 8, the switch 15 is in parallel relation with the contacts 5| and 52 in the circuit, which includes the electromagnet 59. Thus, if the bottle should be in the position of Fig. 4 at the time that the roll 23 first engages it, the resultant opening of the circuit through the contacts 5| and 52 will have no effect on the magnet 59 since the switch 15 will not yet have been opened by the advancing movement of the slide 38.

The electromagnet 59, having insufiicient power to draw the plunger 10 back into positive contact when the latter is in the bottle stopping position of Fig. 4, though capable of holding the plunger 79 against pressure of the spring Bl when brought into direct contact, this positive contact between the magnet 59 and plunger 10 is effected through the pressure of a stronger spring 68 which moves the magnet with its slide 61 forward in relation to its support 12 when the entire assembly is withdrawn by the return stroke of the slide 31 to the inoperative position of Fig. 2. The spring 68 is no longer prevented from moving the magnet 59 with its slide 61 toward the plunger 10, by reason of the spacing of the head of the bolt 65 from the stationary bracket 64.

' As previously pointed out the entire operation of rotating and stopping the bottle at a predetermined point'has been accomplished by direct, simple, though powerful means, without the use of any complicated or intermediary gears, clutches, ratchets, pawls, etc., and at a speed beyond the handling capacity of the older type of device for the purpose.

- I claim:

1. In a machine for orienting articles, each of which has a projection thereon, the combination with driving means engageable with the article to rotate the article on its axis, a pair of rolls movable relative to each other, one of which is supported for engagement with the article out of the path of the projection thereon, and the other being located for engagement with the projection as the article rotates, a brake adapted for engagement with the article, said brake being movable in a direction substantially acaacos tangentialto the periphery or the article. and means operative upon movement. of said other roll when engaged by the projection for procuringmovement of the brake into bottle engagas the article rotates, of a stopping means tor 10 the article, including an element engageable with the periphery of the bottle and movable ina direction substantially tangential to the bottle, and means responsive to movement of the memher by the projection for causing the stopping 1 means to engage the article.

3. In a machine for orienting articles, each of which has a projection thereon, the combination with means for rotating an article on its axis, idler rolls roisupporting said article during its-rotation, and a member engageable by the projection as the article rotates, of a stopping means for engagement with the periphery of the article, said stopping means including a slide movable in a plane substantially tangential to the article's periphery, and having a bottle engaging member thereon, and means for causing said slide to be moved toward the bottle in response to movement of the member by the projection on the article.

4. In a device for locating a bottle having a projection thereon in a predetermined angular position for the subsequent application thereon of a label, a pair of oppositely movable slides, one slide having idler rolls to support the bottle rotation 'on a predetermined axis, means on the opposite slide for rotating the bottle by engagement with its periphery, a member on one of said slides for engagement with the projection on the bottle, stopping means on one of said slides for engagement with the articles periphery, said means including a bottle engaging element movable in a path substantially tangential to the bottle, and means for moving said bottle engaging element into bottle stopping position in response to movement of the member by the projection.

5. In a device for locating a bottle having a projection thereon in a predetermined angular position for the subsequent application thereon of a label, a pair of oppositely movable slides, one slide having idler rolls to support the bottle rotation on a predetermined axis, a member located between said rolls and positioned for engagement with the projection on the bottle, means on the other slide for procuring rotation of the bottle on its axis, a stopping member on said other slide, said stopping member having a bottle engaging surface and said stopping member being movable in a direction substantially tangential to the bottle, and means responsive to movement of the projection engaging member for procuring operation of the stopping member.

6. In a machine for orienting articles, each of which has a projection thereon, a pair of oppositely reciprocable slides, idler rolls on one of said slides for supporting the article for rotation on a predetermined axis, driving means engageable with the periphery of the article for procuring its rotation, means for removing said slides to advance the slide carrying the driving means beyond its normal article rotating position before the slide carrying the idler rolls has been advanced into normal article support- 76 ing position, a stopping means to discontinue the article's rotation, and means to operate said stopping means only when the slide carrying the idler rolls is in normal article supporting position.

7. In a device for locating a bottle having a projection thereon in a predetermined angular position, means for supporting the bottle for rotation on a predetermined axis, a slide, a positively driven roll on said slide and movable by said slide into and out of engagement with a bottles periphery, a stopping member on said slide having a movement independently of the slide in a plane substantially tangential to the bottle tor engagement with the periphery thereof, a spring for moving said stopping member into bottle engaging position, means (or holding said stopping member in inoperative position against the action of the spring, and means operative during movement of the slide for shifting the stopping member into inoperative position to be held by said holding means.

8. In a device for locating a bottle having a projection thereon in a predetermined angular position, means for supporting the bottle for rotation on a predetermined axis, a slide, a positively driven roll on said slide and movable by said slide into and out of engagement with a bottles periphery, a stopping member on said slide having a movement independently of the slide in a plane substantially tangential to the bottle for engagement with the periphery thereof, a spring for moving said stopping member into bottle engaging position, means ior holding said stopping member in inoperative position against the action of the spring, means operative during movement of the slide for shifting the stopping member into inoperative position to be held by said holding means, and means located in predetermined relation to theflrst means and in a position for engagement with the projection to be moved thereby for releasing the stopping means in response to movement by the projection.

ERIC E. ESSEN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,222,505. November 19, who.

ERIC E. ESSEN.

It is hereby Certified that errorappears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, first column, line 711., after the word "although" insert the pulley 19 continues to rotate,-; and that the seid Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed andsealed this 51st day of December, A. D. 19 40.

. w Henry Van Arsdale, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

